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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25836283">All For You</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/yjs_exoluv12/pseuds/yjs_exoluv12'>yjs_exoluv12</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Voldemort Wins, Dark James Potter, Death Eater James Potter, Good Severus Snape, M/M, Male Slash, Moral Dilemmas</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 03:55:54</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>11,950</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25836283</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/yjs_exoluv12/pseuds/yjs_exoluv12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>In a society where speaking is forbidden, James finds solace in his doctor.</p><p>~~~~~~</p><p>Voldemort waged his war early and took the wizarding world by surprise with his victory. Wizards, under the newly passed Arcadian Act of 1960, were forbidden to talk unless given special privileges.</p><p>James, a Death Eater who specializes in Arcadian Act-related arrests, is injured after an undercover mission turned sour. Forced to stay at the hospital, he becomes conflicted when his doctor, Severus Snape, begins speaking to him. What confuses him even more is that he enjoyed Severus’s voice.</p><p>Should he continue their deadly game and betray his beliefs, or should he uphold the law and put an end to their relationship?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>James Potter/Severus Snape</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>165</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. The Death Eater</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>In this story, there will be some OOC. I would imagine in this scenario, there would be some traits that are absent in a few characters (i.e. James is more law-abiding, Severus is still snarky but lacks his infamous bitterness, and Sirius is more reckless and emotionally-driven).</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>While the Muggle world was full of diversity in voices and languages, the wizarding world was the exact opposite—dead silent.</p><p>Voldemort had waged his war early and struck the world by surprise. When the Ministry had fallen, the dark wizard set up a puppet Ministry in its place. </p><p>With opposing politicians being given an ultimatum of either dying or conceding, it didn’t take long for him to attack free speech.</p><p>James was only a baby who would never remember his parents’ voices when the Arcadian Act of 1960 was passed, in which only those granted special permission by the Dark Lord were permitted to speak. Only teachers who specialized in early education were permitted to talk outside of politics, only so children would maintain the ability to learn how to read, write, and understand basic English. Afterward, they too would be silenced for eternity.</p><p>James was barely in preschool when he heard English for the first time from his teacher. Like many children his age, he struggled with literacy as teachers tried to figure out new strategies.</p><p>James had nearly finished preschool when riots had broken out in the streets after the execution of Albus Dumbledore. Protesters were immediately arrested and sentenced to the Dementor’s Kiss. His parents lowered their heads that night in defeat, while the toddler snatched the Prophet out of their hands.</p><p>The black and white photos captured screaming heathens resisting arrest, hexing Death Eaters, and destroying property. Faces were painfully scrunched up as disarmed people began to claw at the Death Eaters. There was a fire in the background, and James could’ve sworn he saw a witch that was set on fire run into the crowd.</p><p>“Traitors break the Arcadian Act, riots in the streets,” the headline read.</p><p>The frightening images were always in the back of his mind, serving as a reminder of the Arcadian Act, even when he went to Hogwarts almost a decade later.</p><p>Even though Hogwarts was a painful experience for James, it helped shove the Prophet photos further back in his mind—mainly because it supplemented him with more pressing issues.</p><p>Headmistress Umbridge had kept the traditional houses and claimed everyone at Hogwarts was equal, but everyone knew that there was a de facto ranking system. At the top of the food chain was Slytherin, whose students were enormously favored. Ravenclaw acted as their lackeys—subordinate but nonetheless were treated with respect. Gryffindor and Hufflepuff became the house of sentient punching bags.</p><p>James was sorted into Gryffindor, which made the young boy elated. He was in the same house as his parents after all! Who wouldn’t want to be brave and chivalrous? That night, he scarfed down the delicious food from the feast, wrapped himself in the scarlet Gryffindor blanket, and wrote to his parents about his sorting.</p><p>When the bullying started, he tried to stand up for himself. That’s when the blatant favoritism became all too real to the innocent child.</p><p>After several trips to the hospital wing, he wrote a letter to his mother asking if resorting was possible.</p><p>James had begrudgingly learned to pick and choose his fights. He didn’t want to end up like his roommate, Sirius Black, who became Slytherin’s favorite target for being a pureblood disgrace. </p><p>He did occasionally help his fellow Gryffindor out, like delivering his homework whenever Black was stuck in the infirmary or never telling anyone about Black’s Muggle contraband (‘<em>Where does he keep getting these things?</em>’ James wondered when Black showed him a “walkie talkie”).</p><p>Their friendship was one-sided though—not that Black knew.</p><p>James viewed Black’s not-so-subtle love for Muggle culture as extremism, but he never expressed this opinion to his roommate. In fact, he may have implied the opposite whenever James’s childish curiosity got the better of him and he inquired about Black’s newest contraband.</p><p>Things started to turn around when he reached his sixth year at Hogwarts. That was the year he became deeply invested in his true passion and spent his free time perfecting his craft. His parents were mortified when he sent a letter detailing his vision of the future, but he didn’t care.</p><p>He was going to be a Death Eater.</p><p>His dark ambitions were only reinforced when he received a letter shortly after graduation about his father’s death. Ironically, he died at the hands of a mudblood who broke the Arcadian Act.</p><p>‘<em>Disgusting</em>,’ he thought as he burned the letter and began his application. <em> ‘This is for you, Dad.’ </em></p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Disgusting! Voldemort is nothing more than a tyrant! A dictator! A monster!”</p><p>James grimaced at the loud noise.</p><p>For months, he and a few Death Eaters were working on the Ash Operation, in which they must track down and arrest the few remaining members of the Order of Phoenix. There were multiple reports of suspected members of the Order spotted trying to recruit civilians, which counted as both treason and violation of the Arcadian Act.</p><p>The case started to take a turn when James was undercover, posing as a potential recruit who wanted a personal meeting. They set up a meeting at a lowkey Muggle pub. Thanks to the Ministry, every customer, and staff member around were Death Eaters using glamour, and the neighborhood was cleared for the night so there wouldn’t be any bystanders.</p><p>Despite being the leader of the operation, James didn’t even have to disguise his face. He already possessed an ideal tragic story that would appeal to any Order member—a wronged Gryffindor. All he had to do was put up a front that he was a righteous man who was tired of biting his tongue and desired to free every wizard’s voice.</p><p>In other words, the perfect maverick.</p><p>James, dressed in a wool trench coat and Muggle jeans, felt uncomfortable sitting alone. He fiddled around with his family ring as he painfully counted how many minutes late his recruiter was. When he felt a tap on his shoulder, he turned his head and froze.</p><p>His former roommate and the heir to the Black family, Sirius Black, stood in front of him.</p><p>The man had certainly changed since Hogwarts—he’s grown more handsome and had an enchanting aura of confidence. He was rather unlike the bitter child from back then.</p><p><em> ‘He’s a criminal now.’ </em>James sneered in his head.</p><p>Black sat across from him and smiled. He silently cast a few unfamiliar spells, which caused James to raise an eyebrow.</p><p>“A precaution,” he stated with a husky voice. “Can’t have everyone freaking out because of this ordeal.”</p><p>James bit the insides of his mouth and nodded.</p><p>“You know, they told me that I should follow our usual procedures of recruiting others, but I know you’re different,” Black said. “You’re part of a light family, and you refused to work for the Ministry and Death Eaters. Now you’re living on your inheritance, huh?”</p><p>He nodded again. As he was part of a secret unit, members were given unique cover-up stories and forged documents to disguise themselves. As a wealthy pureblood, James was an “unemployed rich kid living off of daddy’s money”.</p><p>‘<em> Not unlike Black</em>,’ he bitterly thought. But at least he wasn’t a traitor.</p><p>James placed a piece of parchment, a pot of ink, and a quill on the table.</p><p>“Not comfortable speaking, ay? I was the same at the beginning too,” the heir sighed.</p><p>The Death Eater wrote a quick “<em>yes</em>” on the notepad.</p><p>They continued to exchange bits of information. James provided a moving explanation for his decision to defect and fed him rumors he’s heard around the pureblood community (false information, of course) while Black provided a few crucial pieces of information like safe locations and nearby allies. It wasn’t enough to immediately dismantle the entire Order of Phoenix, but it was enough to destroy the bottom of the chain and work their way up.</p><p>For now, there were more troubling matters—like the flight-risk heir in front of him.</p><p>“I can’t stay any longer. Don't want anything Death Eaters catching me tonight,” he joked.</p><p>“<em>Bye</em>,” the Death Eater wrote.</p><p>When Black stood up to leave, James signaled the surrounding Death Eaters by leaning back on his chair and dramatically snapping his fingers.</p><p>Which led to now, where Sirius Black was pinned to the ground and yelling every insult he could manage.</p><p>“You disgusting rat! You’re just as evil as the rest of those lots!”</p><p>James rolled his eyes. As if someone as irrational as Black could ever comprehend the danger of speaking. He wasn’t the one who was haunted by those Prophet photos.</p><p>
  <em> Clink! </em>
</p><p>He quickly turned his gaze over to the bar, where Black had thrown a strange circular object that landed on the countertop. His eyes widened as he suddenly realized exactly what he had done.</p><p>The grenade ignited.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>James hated hospitals.</p><p>Like many wizards, the Arcadian Act made him more aware of the surrounding noises. The lack of advancement in technology such as cars (<em>‘Why use cars when there are portkeys and floo powder?’ </em> James recalled thinking when Sirius had shown him a car magazine back in their Hogwarts’s days) led to a lack of noise pollution in the wizarding world. As a result, wizards were more sensitive to loud noises.</p><p>And thus, the injured patient had to deal with the strange noises the ventilator made.</p><p>One of the more quick-witted Death Eaters has cast a Protego just in time, which softened the blow. Still, a lot of Death Eaters have either died or been injured. James had been one of the luckier ones who were more injured by the collapsed infrastructure rather than the explosion itself. Both of his legs were broken, his head was pounding and his chest was in constant pain.</p><p>The worst part was that Sirius Black had fled the scene. Just the thought of that reckless dunce made James’s blood boil.</p><p>His legs were fixed after a painful night of Skele-Gro, but he had to stay in the hospital for brain and lung damage. His mother had visited one day with a bouquet and a card, but he was disappointed when she wrote that she couldn’t visit often because of work.</p><p>‘<em>All for Mom and Dad</em>,’ he repeated in his head as he stirred his bland stew because, in the end, it really was all for them.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>It was the dead of night, with staff members methodically doing paperwork and patients in deep slumber. There was only one person who resided in the corner of James’s room to watch over him.</p><p>Said person was a thin, raven-haired man. While his porcelain skin blended in with the hospital walls and uniforms, he only wore turtlenecks and black robes. He was sitting on a stool and writing on a patient’s file.</p><p>James had fallen in and out of slumber until he felt an intense pain in his chest.</p><p>He couldn’t breathe!</p><p>The pureblood began to violently jerk and attack any object within reach as a reflex. The pale doctor promptly wrote down something and ran over to James. He shoved a note in his hand and then placed two vials on the nightstand before stepping back to avoid his thrashing limbs.</p><p>“<em>Drink the green potion first, and then the orange one</em>,” the note instructed.</p><p>Even when he was choking to death, James’s one-track mind felt foolishly victorious over the fact that he now knew his doctor’s name from his ID. His body, however, was focused on attacking innocent furniture.</p><p>“I will help you,” Dr. Severus Snape calmly stated.</p><p>The hazel-eyed man widened as he ceased his thrashing. What was he thinking, talking aloud to a Death Eater!?</p><p>Stunned by the doctor’s sudden dialogue, the doctor took this as an opportunity to strike. He force-fed James the potions and massaged the Gryffindor’s neck with a cool balm. Soothed by the man’s rough but warm hands, he leaned into the doctor’s touch.</p><p>“You won’t remember this in the morning,” he continued hypnotically. “The Forgetfulness Potion won’t allow you to.”</p><p>Soon, his breathing returned and his consciousness left.</p><p>When James woke up the next morning, he acted as if nothing had happened. When the doctor left, his hand lingered above the spot that Severus had rubbed. A brief but sincere grin formed on his face.</p><p>He didn’t forget.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The pale doctor never raised his voice, though whether it was as a precaution or because of his personality was beyond James.</p><p>Whatever the reason, he found Severus’s voice enchanting. Even though he should be arresting the smaller man for breaking the Arcadian Act, he secretly yearned to hear his voice every night. He had been terrified when he signaled to the doctor that he did indeed remember, but it led to a daily session of one-sided conversations.</p><p>It was a risky cycle. Every night, Severus would verbally talk about local news after James would drink his potions. There was always the lingering threat of an unexpected staff member walking in or a change in heart from the pureblood, and yet they continued their one-sided conversations every night.</p><p>He cherished the amount of trust his doctor had placed in him. They were two strangers playing with matches, but the element of danger only amplified the high James felt.</p><p>One night, James was drugged up and Severus was working through another endless pile of paperwork. With his judgment impaired thanks to the potions, he gathered up his Gryffindor bravery and took the initiative by requesting paper, ink, and a quill.</p><p>It took a few tries, given that James was terrible at charades, but thankfully Severus wasn’t equally terrible at guessing.</p><p>When Severus handed it to him, he furiously jotted down what he had contemplated writing down for weeks.</p><p>“<em>Twenty questions</em>,” he wrote.</p><p>“I see,” Severus softly replied and went to move his chair. He placed it next to the hospital cot and folded his arms. “Doctors aren’t supposed to have personal relationships with their patients.”</p><p>“<em>Wizards aren’t supposed to talk</em>,” James countered. Severus huffed.</p><p>“Start us off, won’t you?”</p><p>“<em>Why do you work here?</em>”</p><p>“Money,” Severus dryly chuckled, causing James to tense up. Not that the sound was <em>unpleasant </em>per se, it was <em>so</em> <em>foreign</em> to him.</p><p>He pushed back the thought that this was the first time he heard laughter from <em>anyone. </em></p><p>“My turn then.”</p><p>They continued for a while. James tried his best to cover a variety of topics without seeming too invasive, like his favorite drink (“Black coffee.”) or his least favorite subject (“Divination is a waste of time.”). Severus, on the other hand, was the braver of the two, asking about his love life (<em>“Single.”</em>) or his family (<em>“Only child. Dead dad. Mom visited last week.”</em>). </p><p>When they reached their last set of questions, that’s when Severus struck.</p><p>“Why haven’t you reported me yet, Death Eater?” he probed as his expression hardened.</p><p>James paled. He wasn’t supposed to know that he was a Death Eater…</p><p>“You don’t need to know why I know,” the obsidian-eyed man added. “That’s not the main problem here. What is concerning is how you’re now complicit.”</p><p>The Death Eater lowered his gaze onto his shaky grip on the pen. What is he supposed to do now?</p><p>Cold eyes stared at the moving pen.</p><p>What he wrote made the man chuckle again. James blushed in embarrassment.</p><p>“‘I like your voice’, huh? How <em> sweet</em>.”</p><p>He proceeded to rip the parchment in half and shoved the written half in his pocket.</p><p>James tilted his head in confusion, prompting Severus to mouth “blackmail” and sneer.</p><p>He leaned in and whispered, “If I go down because of you, I’ll drag you with me.”</p><p>He absentmindedly stroked James’s cheek with his bony fingers and left.</p><p>It took a few minutes for James to collect his jaw from the ground before the realization of what happened dawned on him.</p><p>
  <em> ‘What if he reports me?’ </em>
</p><p>
  <em> ‘How does he know I’m a Death Eater?’ </em>
</p><p>
  <em> ‘I’m going to be kissed by the dementors for this!’ </em>
</p><p>
  <em> ‘Is he working for the Ministry? Or perhaps the Dark Lord?’ </em>
</p><p>And though James was ashamed of it, there was one thought that was most prominent in his mind.</p><p>‘<b><em>What if he stops talking to me?</em></b>’</p><p>He shook off his sheets and fumbled his way over to the desk. Desperately scavenging through the drawers for anything that could help him, he abruptly stopped and picked up a thin vial.</p><p>He wasn’t an expert in potions, but he knows Calming Draught when he sees it.</p><p>Without a second thought, he gulped down the entire vial and threw it into the trash can. He flopped down on the hard bed and buried himself in a sea of white blankets.</p><p>As the potion settled in, the pureblood closed his eyes. In the deepest part of his mind, he envisioned a made-up world. It would have the bluest skies with the fluffiest clouds, and he would be laying down on the ground with a tree that provided shade. </p><p>Severus would chatter about the most trivial subjects while James would listen with his eyes closed and his head on Severus’s lap. Nothing could interrupt his rambling, and nothing could stop him from listening forever.</p><p>“<em>Only for you</em>,” a soothing voice tells him.</p><p>James was too tired to figure out whether the real Severus had said that or if it was a figment of his imagination.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Yay, first work of mine with multiple chapters! I will be updating this every Saturday, and it will only be a few chapters long (3-5 chapters? I’m not sure yet). Also if people could recommend some tags, I'd greatly appreciate it~</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. The Visit</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hey, surprise early update! I’ve been writing a lot recently and I want to wrap this up before school starts, so I will be updating on Fridays as well. Don’t worry though, I will be updating tomorrow as well. Also, thank you for the kudos and reviews &lt;3<br/>WARNING: this chapter contains swearing.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The calming potion was only good for when he was conscious. However, the moment he entered the dream world, that potion means nothing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>However, that night, James didn’t have a dream. No, it was much worse than that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He remembered.</span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“A delinquent,” was what Headmistress Umbridge had labeled him that day.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>They were sitting across from each other in the Headmistress’s office after a fight had broken out in the hallways.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Before the fight, James had outshined the other Ravenclaws in Transfiguration and garnered a few points for Gryffindor. Normally Ravenclaws would care less, but for a (at the time) light pureblood like James Potter to outshine them, it was a sin. After class, they attempted to confront him in the only way pissed-off kids knew how—by fighting.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>One of the Ravenclaws attempted to send a Body-Binding Curse at him, but missed and hit Marlene McKinnon instead.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Black, ever the heroic roommate, immediately started hexing back. In the background, James took pity on her and reversed the curse while another Gryffindor helped her up.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS!?”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Everyone immediately held their hands over their ears, pained by her high-pitched shrieking. Black, however, resisted and kept his wand directed towards the Ravenclaws.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>‘Drop your wand!’ James glared at him, but he didn’t seem to notice.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>And like the idiot he was, James snatched his roommate’s wand right when Headmistress Umbridge, with her pink cardigan and velvet bow, had entered and pointed it at the Ravenclaw students.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“You!” she pointed at James. “I want you in my office right this instant!”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>The Ravenclaws gave him a smug look while McKinnon looked at him with pity. Black, on the other hand, seemed like he was about to punch a wall.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>‘What is he mad for?’ James thought as he trailed behind Umbridge.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Russian Blue,” she cooly stated when they reached the gargoyle statues outside of her office. He resisted the urge to cover his ears. Even when she was speaking calmly, her voice was absolutely grating to the Gryffindor.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>When he entered the office, he nearly vomited at the excessive amount of pink and lace there were.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Sit.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>He took the seat across from the desk, which was decorated with a white and gold tea set. Pictures of cats were plastered across the walls, all menacingly glaring at James like they were judging him.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“The students you hexed,” she said with a sickenly sweet voice, “claim that you had attacked them. That kind of behavior is not tolerated at Hogwarts, Mr. Potter. That is the behavior of a delinquent.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>He wanted to punch a hole through his face. How could she believe those lying bullies!?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“You will serve detention with me tomorrow night, Mr. Potter.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>James clenched his fist, but he did not answer. Instead, he avoided looking at her atrocious toad face and focused on his shaking fists.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Look into my eyes when I’m speaking!” Umbridge shrieked. The sheer volume of her outburst shocked the young boy and frightened him into compliance.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“I’m afraid we’ll have to write to your parents about your behavior, dear,” she continued in an almost patronizing voice. “I don’t want to suspend you, but if this happens again, young man, you will face the consequences.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>The young boy bit his lip and reluctantly nodded. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>‘It’s not fair!’</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“That will be all for now,” the plump woman said, which was a relief for James. His ears were ringing from her yapping, and he was seconds away from shattering her gaudy saucers.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>That night, James gave into his emotions and punched his pillows. Black graciously handed him a chocolate bar, to which James reluctantly accepted. Pity chocolate was still chocolate after all.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>When he took a small bite, his roommate sat on the ground and gave him a note and a quill.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>“You saved me,” </em>
  </b>
  <em>
    <span>Black wrote with an elegant handwriting.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>In all honesty, James didn’t know why he took the fall for Black. They weren’t friends—how could James be friends with an extremist like him?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>“You’re always trying to help people, you know?”</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>That casual remark caught the other Gryffindor off guard. Help people? Why would Black believe that?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>“Do you want to talk about it?” </em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>James shook his head. He didn’t want to talk about that anymore, because now he was angry for another reason.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>His comment…something about it threw James’s mind far off course. Even though it was meant as a compliment, it stung him.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>He didn’t want to be a helpful guy anymore. Helpful guys don’t thrive at Hogwarts, not when they’re Gryffindors.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>“You’re safe here. I won’t tell.”</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>He angrily took another bite of his chocolate. Black wasn’t going to leave him alone, was he?</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Not fair,” James wrote back.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>“What’s not fair?”</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>After some careful thinking, he chose to write down a single word.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>James jolted awake and nearly fell off the bed. He was caked in his own sweat and his hand was in pain.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“I must not break the rules,”</span>
  </em>
  <span> the decade old scar on his hand wrote out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Looking back, he almost missed their innocence from their early years at Hogwarts. Their fights were mainly hexes and mean pranks, but it lacked the malice and pretentious smiles he had grown to endure in the future.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was simpler—they were only little kids after all. If they didn’t like each other, they showed it. If they had a problem with each other, it would be resolved with a quick hex or a mean push. Everything was justified because they were “kids being kids” and would grow up later.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And grow up they did, but not as righteous people.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The children who hexed each other became composed nobles putting on a constant facade, and James wasn’t an exemption. His frustrations with the system were concealed with polite smiles and apathy, until eventually he became apathetic towards the system itself.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Slowly, he watched himself become like Umbridge.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Call him pessimistic, but he believed that there was no point changing the game when all of the odds were stacked against him. Perhaps in another universe, he would’ve been brave enough to go against the status quo, but that night in detention had taught him that he couldn’t win by breaking the rules.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Either he plays the game and gains power, or he refuses and loses everything—and James was </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> a loser.</span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why aren't you engaged yet?” was the first thing Severus asked when James saw him again during his scheduled potions time. He also shoved a notebook and a Muggle pen at him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Contraband, James noted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you know how to use it?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He nodded and clicked the pen. Death Eaters were mainly taught Muggle weaponry so they could understand how to adapt and defend themselves, but he went the extra mile of researching a variety of Muggle gadgets (Sirius Black helped too, unfortunately).</span>
</p><p>
  <span>No one knew this, but James would practice using a Muggle pen after Black had gifted a black and gold one to him for his birthday. He felt bad about not utilizing it enough, and his curiosity got the better of him as usual. It was one of James’s deepest secrets.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>So even he was flabbergasted when he wrote that secret down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Severus covered his mouth with his hand, trying his hardest not to snicker at his poor patient’s embarrassed face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>While he was ridiculously red, James was glad their conversation was light-hearted. Severus seemed more comfortable talking and being more expressive now that they were considered “equal” in this ordeal.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Answer the question then.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“I don’t have a girlfriend.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“So your parents don’t believe in that, huh?”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“What?”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“Political marriages,” the doctor said as he went to his desk and rummaged through his files. “Most purebloods would at least be engaged at your age.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“My family doesn’t do that.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>“I see.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Severus took the notebook back and replaced it with parchment and a dark quill. With a tap from his wand, it floated elegantly in the air. With another wave, the page that James had written on was burnt to ashes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We will be doing some medical exams today,” he explained. “I will test your senses to see if there are any obvious issues, and then we’ll go from there. Understood?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Death Eater obediently nodded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you want to…talk?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>…What did he just say?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It will only be for the exam, to make things easier.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>No, he wouldn’t dare. He couldn’t—he had so much to lose if he did.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No one else is here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But breaking the law was immoral! James was already toeing the line by allowing Severus to talk!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re safe here. I won’t tell.”</span>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>“You’re safe here. I won’t tell.”</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>“You saved me.”</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>“You’re always trying to help people, you know?”</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>“What’s not fair?”</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <span>“You,” he hoarsely uttered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” Severus raised an eyebrow.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“N-nothing,” the Gryffindor stammered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Severus huffed but didn’t press further. Instead, he grabbed the nervous man by the chin and examined his hazel eyes with a quick Lumos. Once he was finished, the doctor seemed puzzled and placed his hand on James’s forehead.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Your temperature is rather high. Do you have a fever?” the pale man asked, voice laced with concern.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m fine,” he timidly answered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Severus raised an eyebrow, but upon feeling James’s temperature go down, he decided to it go for now</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Vision first then. Keep your eyes on my nose and don’t move your head. I will move the pen and you will tell me which direction it goes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>James complied and focused on the doctor’s pale face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>…was Severus’s face always this handsome?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Right.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>If James really thought about it, he wasn’t outstandingly handsome. The nose would’ve turned off those who care about appearances, but he had a feeling that Severus wouldn’t have liked those people anyways.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Up.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But it suited the doctor, in a way. He looked sharp and intimidating, which complemented his straightforwardness and clever demeanor.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Down.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Perhaps Severus would’ve made a better-looking Death Eater than him. James thought of himself as being somewhat handsome, but he looked like a star Quidditch player that made ladies swoon, not cower in fear.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Right.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Or maybe he would be a professor at Hogwarts—one of the many menacing teachers that would take points away from the Gryffindor for the tiniest error. James could see him in long robes that resemble a wraith, lurking the hallways like Filch.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Up.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He probably would make a horrible teacher though—first years would be terrified of his strong personality and menacing aura.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Left.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then again, he would probably be fired after fighting Headmistress Umbridge. Literally, by hexing her into the air or something. James would pay to see that though.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Down.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good,” Severus said as he clicked his Muggle pen again. James winced at the sharp sound from the pen. Surely there wouldn’t be a need for a hearing test-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Now for hearing. I’ll be using the pen for this one.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Well shit.</span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>Severus Snape was the cruelest man on Earth, James had decided.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The doctor continued his paperwork without any regard for his peeved patient. How could he be so apathetic when he had just fed James a bad Bertie Bott’s bean!?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you still sulking over the dog food flavored bean? You know as well as I do that I have no control over that. It wasn’t even part of your taste test, but you ate it anyway.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>What a cruel bastard!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If it makes you feel better,” Severus said as he turned around in his chair, “you’re being discharged soon. So far, everything is looking good for you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He paused his sulking and looked up with a shocked expression.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>What would it mean for the two of them, after all that has happened? They would lose their safe space to talk, as James will inevitably return to work and would not be permitted to have a personal relationship with his doctor.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Unless… </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“M-my house,” James stammered. “Do you want to go there?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No.” Severus nearly cackled when he saw James’s jaw drop to the ground.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let’s go to my house instead.”</span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>James almost regretted visiting when he saw the dreary exterior of the house, which matched the shadiness of the neighborhood. He could’ve sworn he saw a mugging right in the alleyway.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>How low was the doctor’s salary?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>‘Maybe he gambles,’ the Death Eater thought as he approached the stone porch. He hoped it wasn’t any sort of substance abuse, because the pure blood was ill-equipped at interventions.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hey.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He turned around to see Severus with a scarf and a black parka. In his hands were grocery bags, filled with ingredients and drinks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry for the wait,” he said as he pulled out his keys. “Didn’t want to invite you over without filling the fridge with something.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>James gave him an apologetic smile and helped him carry the drinks indoors.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The interior of the house was suspiciously nicer than the exterior. He supposed the doctor used his salary to renovate the house, as the waxed wooden floors and tasteful furniture indicated.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“My friend helped me decorate,” Severus chuckled. “Had I had my way, this entire room would have black walls and nothing in it besides the bare necessities.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>‘Makes much more sense,’</span>
  </em>
  <span> he thought as he noticed the vase of lilies and the pile of tiled coasters on the glass coffee table.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thirsty?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>James nodded. He wanted to try the talking thing, just one more time. Just to confirm that he didn’t like talking. Because it’s wrong. And because he doesn’t like it.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Ding!</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>The Death Eater jumped and quickly aimed his wand at the kitchen counter. Severus, who was pouring him a cup of water, looked unimpressed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Toaster,” he dryly stated as he handed the drink over to James. “Invented almost a century ago.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It is what it is,” the doctor sighed. Severus brought over a plate of brown bread and sat next to James on the couch. Meanwhile, James was distracted again by the decorations around him—this time, he was stacking the tile coasters.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What is a ‘toaster’?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Did the Dark Lord ban toasters?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t think so.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So it’s a pureblood thing then.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“A toaster is a machine you put bread in,” Severus explained. “It heats up the bread, and then you get toast, which is what I have on my plate.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Toast,” James repeated in a childish manner.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t mimic me, you’re not five anymore.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What do you mean, ‘what’?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>James raised an eyebrow.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Figures,” the doctor sighed. “My father was a Muggle and my mother was a witch, so I grew up in the Muggle world until I was old enough to go to Beauxbatons. I never had to stay silent like you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why didn't you stay there?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Here is home,” he said, with a bitter tone in his voice. “I grew up in this house as well, so I didn’t need to move out or anything.”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>‘So he grew up poor,’</span>
  </em>
  <span> James crudely thought. </span>
  <em>
    <span>‘That would explain his need for money.’</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Severus casually took a bite of his toast. “Now, what exactly did you do before Hogwarts?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Tutors,” James shuddered. While he had grown to appreciate the luxury of private tutors, they were a nuisance to him as a child. “They taught me history and literature.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But you couldn’t speak?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“They gave me books and I had to read them.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The obsidian-eyed man clicked his tongue. “Education these days…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I did okay!” James loudly retorted, but his voice cracked at the sudden volume change. He blushed and averted his eyes to the suddenly very captivating coaster.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Severus laughed, but this time it was jollier than his usual dry chuckles. The Death Eater wasn’t quite sure how to respond, so he idly played with his empty cup</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Even in private, the man still had his tranquil and hypnotic voice. It was nice, in James’s opinion, because it differed from the Headmistress’s irritating voice and Black’s husky one. It’s a voice that he could listen to without a painful memory or irrational feeling emerging.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was like his dream, only James didn’t need the sky to be blue or a tree to provide shade. He just needed Severus.</span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>“James?” Severus tried to put on his friendliest smile. “I need you to stay upstairs for a while.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Said person gave him a blank look.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I have a friend coming over right now,” he explained as he gestured towards the front door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why can’t I meet them?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Because…they’re a Muggleborn…and you’re…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>James’s mouth made an ‘o’ shape before he apologized and scurried upstairs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you!” Severus shouted up. When he heard his footsteps fade away, he immediately scowled and opened the door.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Snape,” a husky voice growled. “We need to talk.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You have some nerves coming here unannounced,” he hissed back. “Now explain yourself, Black.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>We're starting to get to the juicy stuff ;)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. The Rebel</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Sorry for the shorter chapter. I still struggle with writing the middle of the story :P</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>He did it again! How could James be so stupid!? He mustn’t give in to the insanity of speaking!</p><p>The Death Eater was standing in Severus’s upstairs hallway when it dawned on him exactly why he felt…<em> confused</em> about his doctor.</p><p>No, <em> the </em>doctor.</p><p>Severus was enticing with his cleverness and his voice, but James needed to be resilient and stay on top of the game. He was already losing by giving the snake leverage, and he was going to resolve that <em>today. </em></p><p>
  <em> ‘Where would he keep that slip?’ </em>
</p><p>He leaned against the wall and noticed multiple doors in the hallway. He assumed Severus’s parents weren’t living here anymore, so what would he need a bunch of rooms for? It seemed rather pointless staying here when Severus could afford a safer and smaller apartment…</p><p>
  <em> ‘Unless he needs an office!’ </em>
</p><p>James must’ve been blessed by the Dark Lord today because he was having a lot of eureka moments.</p><p>The Death Eater transformed into his “sneaking mode” and tip-toed his way to the end of the hallway, where a dark door stood tall. He slowly turned the knob and slid into the doctor’s office, only to be met with a cool breeze.</p><p>The room was abnormally cool and reminded him of Slytherin. The wallpaper was emerald and there was a glossy desk facing the windows that were concealed by thick velvet curtains. He could tell that Severus had chosen the decor based on the absence of any decorative objects—and sunlight.</p><p>He bit his lips when his eyes focused on the contents on the doctor’s desk.</p><p>Documents.</p><p>Normally, he would be indifferent towards paperwork. After all, Severus was a doctor, so it should make sense if those documents were related to a research project of his, right?</p><p>Which is why it was alarming when James noticed the word “Ash Operation” on there.</p><p><em> ‘It’s not possible,’ </em> he tried to reason, even when the evidence blatantly showed him the opposite. <em> ‘He’s a doctor, not a traitor.’ </em></p><p>To confirm, the Death Eater carefully observed each document without moving them. Each page detailed past incidents where missions were sabotaged or supplies had vanished into thin air—all of which were incredibly confidential. There were even incidents that James couldn’t access with his limited security clearances, like the search for a stolen locket.</p><p>It made him queasy to even imagine that the Order was stronger than he originally thought.</p><p><em> ‘His name isn’t on these papers,’ </em> James bit his bottom lip. <em>‘Possession of incriminating documents doesn’t mean he knew about the incidents at the time or that he was involved.’ </em></p><p><em> ‘But it explains so much,’ </em> the Death Eater in him whispered in his head. <em> ‘Everything you know about Severus is a lie, James. He’s using us!’ </em></p><p>“Paper,” he whispered aloud.</p><p>Right, he had a mission to complete.</p><p><em> ‘We can’t continue this game anymore,’ </em> the pureblood thought. <em> ‘We can fix this, Severus. I know you won’t betray me, but Death Eaters shouldn’t be blackmailed.’ </em></p><p>When James opened the drawer, he nearly slammed it closed upon looking at the shiny object inside.</p><p>
  <em> ‘What the fuck!?’ </em>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Your boy toy isn’t here, is he?” Black sneered.</p><p>His uninvited guest had rudely made himself comfortable by hanging up his coat and laying casually on the couch. He even ruined the coaster pile and didn’t even have the decency to pick it up!</p><p>In contrast to the peaceful trust between James and Severus, his relationship with Black was plagued with hostility. Where the doctor was crafty in his rebellious ways, the fugitive in front of him was stupidly blunt about his opinions. They’ve only met on a few occasions, but it was enough for them to immediately start butting heads with one another.</p><p>It especially didn’t help that Black was in a lot of trouble for breaking protocol. Severus wasted countless hours of sleep fixing his screwup and countless more resisting the urge to murder him when he was forced to house the idiot for a month.</p><p>In short, Black was the worst.</p><p>”He is not my ‘boy toy’,” Severus growled. “Of course he isn’t here, he was discharged a week ago.”</p><p>“Oh, but he <em>is</em> a Death Eater in case you’ve forgotten-”</p><p>“I’m well aware of his…occupation, Black. What I don’t understand is why that’s any of your business.”</p><p>“Gee, it <em> surely </em> is none of my business!” Black dramatically threw his hands in the air. “In case you haven’t noticed, I have a bounty on my head because of him!”</p><p>Severus rolled his eyes. “It would be more suspicious if I refused to treat him. I didn’t have a choice.”</p><p>“You could’ve at least poisoned his potions.”</p><p>“Look,” he glared at Black. “Potter isn’t here so drop it. Now, either you tell me why you’re here or you leave.”</p><p>“Minnie-”</p><p><em> “Minerva,” </em>the doctor corrected.</p><p>“Yes, we’re talking about the same woman. <em> Minnie </em> sent me to talk to you about that slip.”</p><p>“I gave it to Lily. You could talk to her instead..”</p><p>“I know.”</p><p>“Then why are you here?”</p><p>“Because I wanted to check up on you, like the good friend that I am,” Black replied with a cocky smirk.</p><p>“We’re <em>not </em>friends,” Severus fumed. “Merlin, couldn’t she have sent a Patronus instead? Or at least someone who isn’t incompetent?”</p><p>“Minnie and Lily thought you would like some male company for once in your boring life.”</p><p>The half-blood was a second away from grabbing a coaster and smashing it again to Black’s dense head.</p><p>“I did visit, but you never explained the context of the slip, so neither of us knew what to make of it.”</p><p>“What do you want to know about the slip?”</p><p>“Why is it important?” the Gryffindor sat up into a thinking position.</p><p>Severus held back his smirk. “During his stay, James Potter wrote that on a notepad.”</p><p>The edge of Black’s lips twitched at the mere mention of his name, as it resisted a deep scowl.</p><p>“However,” he continued. “We can't properly use it as blackmail. The slip implicates me as well, so it’s only enough to keep him quiet.”</p><p>“Why did he write it in the first place?”</p><p>“We had a…discussion. <em> Verbally </em>.”</p><p>The fugitive gasped. “In front of a Death Eater!? How dumb are you?”</p><p>“Not as dumb as your naive faith in him,” Severus retorted back. “Apparently, he doesn’t mind it when I talk.”</p><p>Black’s mouth was left gaping. “So he’ll let you free but not his friend who he shared a room and classes with for seven years? What the fuck!?”</p><p>Severus allowed himself a small chuckle, prompting the silver-eyed man to fiercely glare at him.</p><p>“I’d imagine he was sincere,” Severus hummed. “I reckon he thinks I’m a saint compared to you.”</p><p>Black didn’t respond, but the intense atmosphere spoke for itself. Even though they shared a common enemy, it seems that neither of them could bond over that.</p><p><em> ‘How childish,’ </em> they thought.</p><p>“You should leave before we get caught.”</p><p>“Hold on,” Black said as he stood up. He dug out a key from his pocket and tossed it to Severus, only for it to bounce off the man’s abdomen and hit the ground with a pathetic <em>clink. </em>The doctor resisted the urge to wince because he wasn’t going to amuse Black with his pain.</p><p>“You were supposed to catch it-”</p><p>“No. Explain right now.”</p><p>“Trelawney made a prediction last night. She thinks you will need sanctuary soon, because of a peacock or something.”</p><p>“Are you serious?” Severus rubbed his temple. He could already feel the incoming migraine from everyone’s absolute <em>nonsense. </em></p><p>Merlin, these people were his <em>partners</em>.</p><p>“Better safe than sorry,” Black ominously replied before exiting.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>A gun.</p><p>James’s face turned paperwhite at how incriminating everything was. He nearly bit his tongue off when he held the gun and noticed that it was loaded.</p><p>
  <em> ‘What does he need a gun for!?’ </em>
</p><p>He could understand why Severus had a vast amount of Muggle items in his house, sure, but to have a Muggle weapon was insane. Was he an idiot or something!? What could be going on in his head, because right now, James could only imagine it was an empty void with circus music playing!</p><p>The Death Eater scowled. There was no way Severus would even think about using it for murder, so it must be a method of self-defense—which he certainly shouldn’t need!</p><p>He pocketed the gun but left the documents behind. Perhaps there was an explanation for those documents, but the gun had to go. In fact, he needed to dispose of it before the half-blood would notice.</p><p>
  <b> <em>“You’re always trying to help people, you know?”</em> </b>
</p><p><em> ‘No,’ </em> James retaliated as he slammed the drawer shut. <em> ‘This isn’t for him, this is for me.’ </em></p><p>He could already envision what Black would say if they met again. The traitor would berate him and say something along the lines of being a “bad friend”—as if Black wasn’t a bad friend for betraying him.</p><p>James would not be an accessory for his insane crimes.</p><p>The note didn’t seem to be anywhere in the room.</p><p><em> ‘Mission failed,’ </em>he somberly thought as he exited the office.</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>“Potter,” Bellatrix Lestrange  hissed.</p><p>James winced.</p><p>He and Severus spent the rest of the afternoon walking through a nearby park. The half-blood told him more about his childhood, like his estranged relationship with his family and how he met his first friend.</p><p>After he went home, he kept the gun in his coat out of fear that someone would break into his office.</p><p>‘I’ll dispose of it tomorrow,’ he thought, but for some reason, he couldn’t bring himself to follow through. Something deep inside of him compelled him to keep it in the coat as if it was foreshadowing a dark future.</p><p>It was probably paranoia, but James kept it on hand at all times.</p><p>Of course, all good things must come to an end. He spent his last day with his mother before he had to attend a Death Eater meeting (without his regular coat that has Severus’s gun), and lo and behold, he’s immediately called out by the wicked witch herself.</p><p>He was somewhat used to her belittling him during their meetings, but today she had a legitimate reason for it. Meanwhile, a few more Death Eaters paused what they were doing to listen in.</p><p>“Not only did you let my dear cousin escape, but you have caused multiple injuries. Now tell me, Potter, why shouldn’t I hex you until you beg for the sweet release of death?”</p><p>He bit his lips. A classic trick used by the ones who could speak—they would demand an explanation and would obviously receive none, which gave them an excuse to “punish” their subordinates. Unfortunately, the notorious bully at Hogwarts had somehow obtained such special rights.</p><p><em> ‘Runs in the family,’ </em> he thought. At least Bellatrix doesn’t know how to use actual Muggle explosives.</p><p>“Bellatrix.”</p><p>Everyone turned towards the pale man that had entered the room. Dressed in only black and wine red, the newest Black heir stared down the witch with a look of disdain. James notes that he was shorter than his brother and had softer features. Still, the man had the Black family’s signature silver eyes and natural charm.</p><p>“Regulus, dear cousin,” Bellatrix softened her voice. “A pity what happened to Sirius. Perhaps he should’ve learned from you.”</p><p>“What’s done is done. He has chosen the wrong path and he shall pay for it,” the man responded.</p><p>He approached the two and gave Bellatrix an unreadable look. It seemed that she understood it though,  as she scowled and begrudgingly took a seat.</p><p>“Are you James Potter?” he mystically asked.</p><p>James hesitantly nodded. While Regulus physically resembled his brother, his voice reminded him of Severus’s alluring voice when he was dazed from his potions. It was soft but enchanting, almost like a mermaid’s hypnotic singing.</p><p>“Pleasure to make your acquaintance,” the heir smiled as they shook hands. “I’ve heard good things about you.”</p><p>Bellatrix snorted. “He was the blood traitor’s best friend, wasn’t he?”</p><p>James rolled his eyes, which the younger Black seemed to have noticed because he glanced at him with a mysterious glint in his eyes.</p><p>The meeting continued in the same pattern—James would silently give his report via writing, Bellatrix would jump at every opportunity to criticize him and Regulus would politely continue the meeting. When it was adjourned, Regulus had requested James to stay behind, much to Bellatrix’s dismay</p><p>“Have you seen my brother?” Regulus bluntly asked.</p><p>James shook his head. He wished he did though. The Gryffindor wanted to throw his roommate into Azkaban before he blew up another restaurant.</p><p>“You can tell me, please,” Reguous took a step forward and gave him a pleading look. “I worry about him every day.”</p><p>
  <b> <em>“I won’t tell.”</em> </b>
</p><p>
  <em> ‘Silence!’ </em>
</p><p>His hand twitched, as it seems to be doing more often these days. It didn’t help that Regulus’s dead stare reminded him of Sirius when he was younger—the stare that belonged to a person who was worn down by life and was barely keeping their fiery self alive.</p><p>“I see,” the younger man solemnly lowered his head.</p><p>James gave him an apologetic smile before awkwardly turning around to leave.</p><p>“Then,” Regulus continued with his confidence noticeably slipping in his voice, “I just wanted to invite you for dinner at Grimmauld’s Place. You may bring another guest if you would like.”</p><p><em> ‘A pureblood dinner?’ </em> James thought. <em> ‘This is it, James. You’ve reached the next level of the game.’ </em></p><p>He smiled and embraced the heir, not noticing the devious smirk on Regulus’s face.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. The Ultimatum</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I updated the summary since I thought it was too vague and unappealing. The last chapter also had a lot of grammatical errors so I might edit it later. Anyways, hope you enjoy this new chapter :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>As much as he loved his mother and appreciated Severus, James couldn’t invite them to the dinner. This was a chance to make connections and present himself as one of them, which meant he had no time to entertain his plus one.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He was going to be the perfect pureblood tonight, with his black coat and couture suit.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So you must be James Potter,” a female voice drawled.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>James turned around and forced a smile.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The mistress of the house, Walburga Black, stood on top of the stairs with a chiffon emerald gown and an icy expression. Behind her, he could see Regulus, dressed in black and white, observing them from the corner of his eye while he chatted with their guests.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Blacks weren’t regarded as a prestigious family anymore, and that was before Sirius had bombed the restaurant. They were certainly a family with old money and “pure” blood, but their reputation for frequent incest is why they were slowly shrinking. That’s why they’ve been fighting tooth and nail to gain more power and prove their worth to the other pureblood families.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ve heard all about you,” she cooly said. “You were part of Gryffindor with…</span>
  <em>
    <span>him, </span>
  </em>
  <span>were you not?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He paled and reluctantly nodded, wondering how easy his life would’ve been if he had been sorted into Slytherin.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And what do you do for a living, Mr. Potter?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He’s a Death Eater,” Regulus interrupted. “He deals with rebels, Mother.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh?” she raised an eyebrow. “A good line of work…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>James gave a thankful smile to Regulus, who gave him a chilling look in return. It was like he wanted to say something important, but couldn’t tell James for some reason.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The night continued in a hazy charade of forced smiles and countless bottles of wine. The Death Eater had a few drinks himself and was red-faced when he noticed Regulus escape upstairs.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It wouldn’t be unusual for kids to get worn out after a few hours and leave for the sanctuary of his room, but pureblood etiquette prohibited this unless they were sick. The man was fine enough to mingle with the guests earlier, which begged the question of why he would depart so early when it was still prime time for socializing. His parents, too absorbed in their conversation with their guests, didn’t seem to notice their son leaving.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Feeling brave, he chased after the young man.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>However, when he reached the top floor, there was only an empty hallway with a sea of doors. The Blacks didn’t seem to care about this floor, as there was a blanket of dust on the floor and a ceiling filled with cobwebs. He hissed when his temples began seething in pain, likely from the alcohol.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>James slipped his hand into his pocket and pulled out his Invisibility Cloak. He brought it along just in case he needed a breather, but tonight it had another purpose. He was too drunk and in pain to properly react, so the cloak would be his savior. Wrapping the silky cloak around himself, he walked down the dirty hallway, eying each door until he came upon one with “Sirius Black” engraved on it. He slowly turned the knob, wincing whenever the wooden door creaked or the rusty metal screeched, before quickly dashing in.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The room was surprisingly spotless, almost as if it had just been cleaned. The duvets were fluffed, the velvet blanket didn’t have a single wrinkle and the desk didn’t have a speck of dust on it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Perhaps a house elf still cleaned this room?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But why would they clean an empty room and not the hallways? Sirius has been gone for months now, surely the elves would’ve been instructed to leave his room alone.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>‘Sentiment?’</span>
  </em>
  <span> James thought. He knew that his mother did the same for months when he first left home, but he could hardly see Walburga Black mourning her son. Perhaps it was Orion or Regulus then, thought it was much harder to read those two men. Rumors have it that Sirius was closer to them anyways.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Yeah, that must be it. Sentiment. From the stone cold men of the family.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When James went over to the desk, he noticed a letter on top of it and felt a nauseating sense of deja vu. The excessively elegant cursive handwriting was atrocious and barely legible, but he managed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Dear Regulus Black,</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>I hope this letter finds you in good health.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>From there, it seemed to be broken sentences like it was a draft. Words like “however” and “unfortunately” frequently made an appearance, but were ultimately crossed out.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>To most, they would scratch it off as an abandoned letter with no true substance to it—but James knew better than that. No one left a draft sprawled on the desk for weeks at a time, especially not the reckless Sirius Black who wouldn’t even bother making a draft. He had received countless letters from his former roommate that were covered in ink splotches or crossed out sentences.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He pulled out his wand and mouthed a quick revealing spell. No surprise, a minuscule piece of writing began to carve itself onto the corner of the paper. In a thinner, more legible handwriting, there was a single sentence.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Padfoot, bring necklace to abandoned port, night of Halloween.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>‘Necklace?’ </span>
  </em>
  <span>James thought. He didn’t recall the Blacks being heavily invested in the jewelry industry. And what the hell was a “Padfoot”?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There had to be more to this—the strange word, the invisible ink, the location of the meeting.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Meeting. He nervously gulped.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Halloween was coming up in a few nights.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As another wave of deja vu hit him, he searched through the desk for any necklaces. There wasn’t anything remotely resembling one, but that didn’t mean there wasn’t a suspicious object.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Fragments of an emerald emblem were put into a clear bag alongside a thin chain. Some would wonder why a family as regal as the Blacks would even bother keeping a broken, but James noticed the peculiar object was in parts.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When pieced together, the chain and the shattered emblem would create a locket.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It didn’t take long for him to recall the documents on Severus’s desk.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>‘A stolen locket.’</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He regretted not reading the documents more closely, but he knew enough to understand why Sirius would keep it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Salazar’s locket was a one of a kind, after all.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But what would Sirius need the locket for? If it was important enough to steal, why was it broken? And why keep it in his room when he’s on the run?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>‘Did he even steal it to begin with?’</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>James shook his head. It had to be Sirius because he was part of the Order. The Black family may have some questionable ethics, but they were firm on their belief in keeping wizards pure. There wasn’t any other suspect.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>‘I have to go there,’</span>
  </em>
  <span> the Death Eater thought as he pocketed the bag. </span>
  <em>
    <span>‘Sirius Black will be there.’</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He stealthily left the room and slipped out, trying his best not to make any noise. His head was pounding immensely from the wine, as if something was trying to stab a spoon through his brain. On his way out, he briefly caught a conversation between Regulus and another man on the stairway.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Did you hear something, Reg?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s probably the party. Don’t worry about it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He turned around, hoping to find who he thought it was, but it was just Regulus walking down the stairs and returning to the party.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>James could’ve sworn that voice belonged to Sirius, but of course, that was probably the wine talking.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Unbeknownst to everyone else, a pale woman and a tall man were in a private study room. The woman was sitting on a chair with her eyes closed, almost as if he were resting. The man, on the other hand, paced back and forth in the middle of the room.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“One of your tricks, Bellatrix?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Quiet,” she hissed. “I casted a Legilimens spell on him and I need to concentrate or else it will break.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What is he thinking?” the man asked, kneeling down so that he could lean close to her face.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Potter is going rogue,” Bellatrix whispered. “There’s a meeting between at the abandoned port. He wants to confront the blood traitor.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“When?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The night of Halloween.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I will go then,” he abruptly stood up and extended a hand towards the sitting lady.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He’s going back downstairs,” she grumbled as she opened her ice cold eyes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You will need me there as well.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“There is a chance he is still loyal. Even if his methods are…unorthodox,” the man muttered, keeping his hand extended for her. “I want you to set up a punishment for him instead, and make sure no one else knows about this. There’s no need to lose a good Death Eater.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She grumbled a reluctant “fine” before swatting his hand away and getting up by herself.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I thank you for your help.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Legilimency has its perks,” Bellatrix hummed before they waltzed downstairs for a celebratory glass of champagne.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sirius Black was not having a good time.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He was hiding behind a large pile of crates at twilight, waiting for the doctor to arrive so they could team up against the mole.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Snape had been furious when he heard about the stolen locket. While the broken locket was essentially useless as an object, it’s existence was evidence that the Blacks were involved with its disappearance. Knowing the Dark Lord, he would do whatever it takes to hunt down each member until he has eradicated the entire family tree.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>‘And if they find out Regulus stole it,’</span>
  </em>
  <span> Sirius shivered at the thought. No, he would protect his younger brother at all cost.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Rather than scrapping the meeting, they decided that it had to continue as it was their only chance at getting the locket back. If the perpetrator was willing to talk to Snape, they would try to work something out (or hex them into compliance). If the perpetrator was a Death Eater, Sirius would rescue him with the portkey the Order gave them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was a risky mission, but it had to be done.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Creaky footsteps echoed the old port. Sirius peeked out from his hiding spot and spotted messy, dark hair.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That was </span>
  <em>
    <span>not </span>
  </em>
  <span>Snape.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Instead, the man wore glasses and a long coat. It was too dark to make out any specific features, but the mysterious figure had a muscular body that the doctor lacked. The moonlight was dim, but it was enough to reflect off of the plastic bag in the mole’s hand.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>‘Bingo,’</span>
  </em>
  <span> he snickered internally.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Padfoot?” a timid voice interrupted. The man turned towards the entering figure, who wore a black parka and a scarf around his thin neck. Sirius recognized those sharp features and porcelain skin from afar.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Severus?” the man whispered, taking a step back.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“James?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sirius’s jaw nearly dropped. He would never have guessed that the Death Eater was the one behind it, considering he was supposed to be on desk duty according to Bellatrix and Regulus. Was this solo mission unauthorized?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why are you here?” they both asked at the same time. Sirius wanted to smack himself in the face from how stupidly these two idiots were acting, fidgeting and avoiding eye contact despite the incriminating situation at hand. Where was the cold-blooded James Potter who betrayed him? Or the quick-witted Severus Snape he always argues with?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>…Wait. Did…did Potter just speak? Aloud? To Snape?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The criminal almost missed it, too absorbed with the current awkward scene in front of his eyes. Potter’s voice was raspy, as expected for a beginner, but it had a certain childish quality to it. It reminded Sirius of Regulus when they were younger and carelessly speaking in the safety of the heavily warded Grimmauld Place.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>‘This will be interesting,’</span>
  </em>
  <span> Sirius smirked. The Death Eater was nothing more than a hypocrite for becoming a Death Eater, and tonight he’ll fall. Waiting for a ripe opportunity, the former heir reached for his wand.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Please,” Potter croaked, holding the plastic bag close to his chest.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Give it to me,” Snape held out his hand with an icy expression. “Don’t interfere.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Potter furiously shook his head, but he didn’t dare take out his wand. Instead, he kept his firm grip on the locket and took a defensive position, as if he was going to flee.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Snape, on the other hand, didn’t hesitate to take his wand out and point it at him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m warning you. Give. It. To. Me.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>‘Hex him already, you idiot!’</span>
  </em>
  <span> Sirius gritted his teeth. Oh, how he would love to jinx the hell out of his former roommate, but Snape would skin him alive if he botched this mission again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Any day now, James.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>‘They’re on a first name basis!?’</span>
  </em>
  <span> he groaned. </span>
  <em>
    <span>‘These two are the worst!’</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Petri-”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Unexpectedly, Potter quickly sprinted towards the doctor and tackled him down to the hard wooden dock. The Death Eater, ever the cruel bastard, pressed his knee against Snape’s spine and twisted his arms. The bag was left abandoned on the ground, far from the two men.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Accio locket,” Sirius whispered, watching the bag float gracefully into his hands. Part one of the mission was complete, now for part two!</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Bravo, bravo,” a chilling voice interrupted.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They both looked up, stunned by the sudden intruder. It seemed to be a person they recognized, Sirius noted, as Severus ceased his struggling and James turned pale white. He turned around as well in curiosity, which he immediately regretted.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>‘Pompous prick always ruins my day,’</span>
  </em>
  <span> Sirius scowled.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A tall man with long, platinum blonde hair and a regal cane slowly clapped. Dressed warmly with a long coat and leather gloves, the man radiated arrogance and wealth.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good work, Mr. Potter,” Lucius Malfoy praised. “I’ll be sure to put in a good word for you. I expect a promotion in your near future.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Potter didn’t even bother to look at Malfoy, instead choosing to bite his lips and keep his eyes on Snape. Sirius, on the other hand, couldn’t tear his eyes away from the prick.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>‘What the fuck is this jerk doing here?!’</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>‘Why is he here?’</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>James gave the doctor’s wrists a tight squeeze and averted his eyes. He was too angry to even </span>
  <em>
    <span>look</span>
  </em>
  <span> at Malfoy.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Lucius Malfoy was a foil to James. The former thrived as a role model amongst the Slytherins, flaunted his name whenever he felt like it, and impressed others when he became a politician. James, however, put his blood, sweat and tears into becoming a Death Eater. Unlike Malfoy, he was trampled by society as a Gryffindor from a light family.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He was everything James desired to be and had this been any other day, he would’ve been in awe. Right now, though, he felt nothing but annoyance at the politician’s presence.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But…” the man continued.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Gryffindor peeked up with curiosity.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ve seen your work, Dr. Snape. You have talents like none other, and I firmly believe that it shouldn’t be wasted,” he smoothly praised. “I would like to strike a deal with you, Dr. Snape. You will not be sent to Azkaban, nor will you be charged.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“…what are your conditions?” the doctor said with an emotionless tone. James shivered at the vibration from Severus’s lungs. “There’s always a condition.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>This was it. It was over, wasn’t it? Severus was going to rat him out at any moment, and James would let him because </span>
  <em>
    <span>damn he deserved it.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I want names. Names of any members or affiliates of the Order of Phoenix-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Pardon? You’re going to go to Azka-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <b>“No.”</b>
</p>
<p>
  <span>James felt the corner of his mouth twitch when he saw Malfoy’s reaction. The politician whose never been refused has been denied—to a half-blood no less.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But then it dawned on him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He was winning the game right now.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His only weakness, which was Severus’s blackmail, had been eradicated the moment Severus said no. He could’ve lost everything, but now he was going to leave victorious.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>…Right?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The gun in his pocket suddenly felt heavier.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re a fool.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The doctor didn’t answer. He rested his head against the ground and closed his eyes, as if accepting his doom.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Severus was dead meat, that was for sure. But even if James had no reason to feel bad for a traitor, his heart ached.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“‘No’,” Malfoy snidely repeated. “Then you will face death tonight, Dr. Snape. Mr. Potter, if you will?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He had to face the music—someone has to die in this room tonight and James would be the one pulling the trigger. He knew what he had to do.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His hand shook as his scars began acting up again, almost as if it were trying to convince him not to, but he had to lose something today.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>‘All of this is for you, Severus.’</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>With a hoarse voice, James leaned in to whisper “forgive me” into Severus’s ear, cocked the gun and pulled the trigger.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hey guys, I’m thinking of posting a few ideas for other writers to adopt so if you’re interested, it’ll be up soon.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Epilogue</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“No!” a naked toddler with the obsidian eyes squealed before running off.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hadrian!” James exclaimed. “You have to take a bath!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The Potter household was in absolute chaos as a naked child was outrunning an exacerbated manchild in the hallway while his husband was watching from the kitchen.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Leave him be,” Severus chuckled. “He’ll come back when he realizes we have cookies.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Cookies,” the Gryffindor repeated with a childish grin.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was hard to believe a cynical Death Eater could become a loving father and husband, but that’s where he had thankfully ended up.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He had pulled a miracle and shot Malfoy right in the chest, causing him to fall into the water. While James was stunned by the recoil of the gun, Sirius darted from his hiding place and portkeyed them to a Muggle warehouse that belonged to the Order of Phoenix.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Of course, his stay there wasn’t like a hotel room. The Order has some doubts about his loyalty, even if he had shot Malfoy. Under the gaze of some tough former Aurors, he was interrogated daily under Veritaserum, which was even more painful thanks to his unused vocal cords flaring up. He was also handcuffed for the majority of the day and was constantly monitored by a member of the Order.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sorry,” Severus had once whispered when he was checking James’s sore wrists. “It’s a necessary evil.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>James gave him a reassuring smile and shook his head. If anything, the doctor was the last person he needed an apology from because he was the only thing that helped the former Death Eater through the uncomfortable nights.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But the Gryffindor was certainly productive during his stay there. Severus and his Muggleborn friend Lily Evans helped him with speech practice, which would help James with his transition from pure silence.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He didn’t like Evans at first. She was ridiculously close to Severus and had known him since childhood. It frustrated him to no end how she could read her friend like an open book. The avid Death Eater in him called for him to hex her until she knew her place, but thankfully, James stopped listening to that side of him long ago.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After some time, he grew to respect the witch’s intelligence and talent, though the jealousy remained.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It would take a few more years before the Order could truly defeat Voldemort, and another year to purge the Ministry of its corrupt politicians. It was a grueling process, but of course, government takedowns weren't exactly supposed to be an easy feat.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>In the meantime, James and Severus began dating and moved into a flat in Muggle London. Since they were still on the Ministry’s most wanted list, neither of them could work and lived on a strict budget.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Living together was a struggle at times, given that they both felt weak for mooching off of the Order’s funds, but they worked through their insecurities together. Severus continued teaching James, while James focused on courting the former doctor in small ways like helping him cut potion ingredients or fetching the newspaper. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>What he’d like to do is settle down and give a beautiful speech about his love for the amazing man, but alas, James’s English was ridiculously simple. With the only books around the flat being complex Potion recipes and magic theory, he didn’t have any opportunities to advance his vocabulary on his own. Speaking to others was out of the question, considering he was still a wanted man. In short, he was stuck with it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Severus seemed to like it though, as he once told James over dinner.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re simple, and I rather keep it that way.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Would you rather talk like a politician? A Black or a Malfoy, perhaps?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>James violently shook his head.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m not going to teach you. You know and understand enough.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll get Sirius to teach me then!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Severus chuckled and offered him a piece of steak.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re like a child, James,” he snickered.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The former Death Eater’s face turned redder than a Gryffindor. He averted his eyes and clumsily accepted the offered meat, feeling ridiculously silly. Must his boyfriend patronize him so often?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s not bad, you know. Sirius is the same—he gets to the point. He’ll tell you what he wants from you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Is that good?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Communication is important,” Severus replied. “Problems will occur if you don’t give people a straight answer. I will tell you if I have a problem and you’ll tell me if you have one. It’s simple.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>‘But my problem is exactly that,’</span>
  </em>
  <span> James thought. </span>
  <em>
    <span>‘Too direct. Too short. I want to do more than that.’</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sirius wasn’t great at teaching him, but he did help him with his surprise for Severus.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When news broke out about the downfall of Voldemort, wizards shamelessly showered the night sky with fireworks. Severus, who was on their balcony observing the scene, was surprised to find the Gryffindor on one knee with a silver ring in his hand, clumsily reciting a love poem. In turn, James was also pleasantly stunned when he said yes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After a few months of settling back in the wizarding world, James was pardoned and began his Auror training while Severus returned to the medical field. James’s mother helped plan their small but lovely wedding, and Sirius playfully winked at them when he caught the bouquet, much to Evans’s and Regulus’s dismay.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>On July 31, a few years after a massive study on make pregnancy potions was released, Hadrian James Potter was brought into a new wizarding world.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And today, that little boy was peeking at the kitchen hallway after catching a whiff of cookies. When James noticed, he grabbed a cookie and slowly ate it while eyeing his son.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t tease our son,” Severus chided. He scooped up Hadrian and brought him back into the bathroom.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>James casually ate another cookie while splashing noises and incoherent yelling could be heard in the background. He wondered if he should bring Hadrian outside more so he can socialize with kids his age, since Hadrian usually played with the Black brothers and the Weasley children (who were significantly older than him).</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“He should play with younger kids,” James pondered aloud while soaked Severus emerged from the bathroom with a dressed son in his arms.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Water!” Hadrian giggled as a drop of water dripped from Severus’s chin onto his chubby hand.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“As long as I don’t have to look after them,” Severus dryly replied.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>James pecked his husband’s wet cheek and took Hadrian out of his arms.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I love you,” he blurted out for no reason. The doctor turned red and lightly punched him in the arm.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m changing,” was all he said before hastily retreating to their bedroom.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I am too,” James softly whispered to himself as he handed Hadrian a cookie. “All for you.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>This epilogue is a mess, and so is my schedule for school :(</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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